Life, 1890-08-21 · page 5 of 16
Life — August 21, 1890 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis The main image appears to show a figure lying among foliage or debris—likely a political cartoon commentary, though the specific subject is unclear from the visual alone. The text sections are brief satirical pieces rather than cartoon captions: - "The Retort Courteous" depicts a dialogue between Jones (getting drunk) and Adams, suggesting social commentary on drinking habits - "Union Veteran" and "Confederate Veteran" debate whether the South was "in error," with the Confederate admitting the South was wrong—likely post-Civil War reconciliation satire - A quip about the Harrison Administration's success eliminating red ants from the White House - A reference to Ward McAllister's deliberation on what to call his book about "Society" - A final joke: "What is the baby crying for?" "Deviltry." The page mixes political and social satire typical of *Life* magazine's style, though specific historical context for some references remains unclear.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
89 WISE. OW happy is the thrifty man, What peace attends his soul, Who in the Winter lays in ice, And in the Summer coal, THE RETORT COUR- TEOUS. DAMS: Well, Jones, been get- ting drunk again ? JONES (angrily): That's my business. ADAMS (pleasant- ty): So I understand. NION VETER- AN (after an amicable discussion of the war): You'll ad- mit, now, that the South was in error, won't you? CONFEDERATE VETERAN: Yes, in- deed! If the South could have foreseen all this pension business, there would have been no war. |G CAUGHT TO-DAY, HE Administra- tion has been very successful in one respect. It is reported that there isn’t a red ant left in the White House. Mr. Harrison has taken care of his ants in great shape. 3 2 é 55 ee br o% $e gt § & z 2 z ra Py 9 z 2 6 S Zz Young Fish: His Uncle T is said that Ward McAllister spent a great deal of time de- liberating whether to call his book “Society as I Found It,” or “So- | ciety as I Founded It.” “ HAT is the baby crying for?” “ Deviltry.” comicbooks.com